This post courtesy of guest blogger K. Whitaker, travel enthusiast, marketer and business woman extraordinaire.
Family vacations and school breaks don’t always match. Maybe you want to jump on out-of-season prices or take advantage of smaller crowds. Perhaps attend a faraway reunion already planned. Whatever the situation, the conundrum is whether or not to take your kids out of school to travel.
“It all depends on the family,” says Bobbi Truesdell, a former first grade teacher and children’s librarian from Schoolcraft, MI. “Some families travel for an educational experience while other families do not engage with their children on the trip.”
In other words, a family vacation is only as educational as the parents make it. It is important for children to have a balanced vacation, one that blends sight-seeing and relaxation. But a vacation spent entirely at the beach is difficult to justify as educational.
But isn’t time spent together really the most important part of family vacations? Elaine Whitaker, a former high school teacher from Lewisburg, TN, believes that “a teacher’s focus should be on preserving the American family.” She continues, “Whatever you can do to strengthen the ties of family, now who wouldn’t be for that?”
Many teachers support parents taking the opportunity to spend time with their children because “parents are a child’s first teacher,” says Truesdell. It is important for families to engage and interact with each other. “Why punish a child because he wants to spend time with his family?” adds Whitaker.
On the other hand, educators also hesitate encouraging this type of behavior because part of public school funding is now based on attendance. In fact, the public school system loses federal funding for unexcused absences. Now, the current trend is to push students to come to class.
The U.S. government is promoting travel as a way to stimulate the economy. President Obama signed into law the first-ever “Travel Promotion Act” on March 4, 2010. The act is primarily designed to attract international travelers, but we may be seeing more Americans traveling abroad as a result of it.
Congress also promotes the National Travel and Tourism Week, which takes place annually in mid-May. The focus is establishing travel as an economic stimulus for America’s ongoing challenges.
The government promoting travel as a way to recover the American economy certainly adds a new dimension to this longstanding debate. Should citizens be punished for taking action?
If you decide to travel outside of school breaks, here are some key points to consider. For starters, check school policies regarding this practice. Try to minimize any fiscal loss for your school and school district. Make sure your kids are performing well. If they’re behind in any areas, bring them up to speed before you leave.
If possible, schedule your vacation later in the school year, so your children have time to adjust. Always avoid test periods and lessons about vital concepts for that particular grade, such as shapes in first grade. October, for example, is generally a jam-packed month.
Moreover, give the teachers plenty of notice about your trip so they can prepare assignments and develop an organized schedule for making up the lessons. Some teachers will even allow students to turn in make-up work before the vacation. Take advantage of this option if available.
When you return, make sure that all makeup work is turned in on time and done correctly. Lastly, consider sending a thank-you card and a small gift of appreciation to your children’s teachers. Thank them for going the extra mile so your family could do the same.
Like what you are reading? Get our latest articles via e-mail every week!
No information will be given to outside parties. Unsubscribe
Article Comments
Eileen Jancarz says:
Concise but wise article. Great food for thought.
April 2nd, 2010 at 9:48 am ::
Kate Whitaker says:
Thanks for taking the time to read the article! I hope it was informative.
April 7th, 2010 at 8:57 pm ::
Leave a Reply